Yellowknife’s International Film Festival’s industry forum aims to bring emerging and veteran filmmakers together to harvest a mutual passion for all things film. The gathering will bring filmmakers from across the territory together to take part in everything from a pitch competition to mapping and writing workshops and a chance to work with homegrown filmmaker KC Carthew.
Bran Ramsey, executive director of the Yellowknife International Film Festival, told True North FM that the forum offers a myriad of opportunities for filmmakers and film enthusiasts in the territory to connect, learn, and collaborate.
“I think a lot of times we work in a vacuum but because we don’t have access like this all the time to these people. It’s a chance to share your thoughts, your ideas and your plans, and people will be the people to help pathfind and guide filmmakers towards the next steps of their project or their careers.”
The forum will feature discussion panels, workshops, master classes, one-on-one meetings with industry leaders, networking events and free access to filmmaking workshops for youth.
The series of professional development opportunities, panel and networking opportunities are geared towards all levels of filmmakers from amateurs to professionals, said Ramsey.
The forum aims to build a dialogue between emerging and veteran filmmakers from across the territory and beyond and will be held in Yellowknife from Nov. 7 to 9 at the Explorer Hotel.
The networking gathering encourages filmmakers to harvest the art of film.
“It’s an opportunity to get our hobby or amateur filmmakers doing bigger projects, to then go to different festivals. They just keep making contacts and inspiring people to be filmmakers,” said Ramsey.
Guests this year include Sean Cisterna, director of Silver Screeners, Daniel Janke, director of Old Crow a Philosophy, KC Carthew, director of The Knife and The Sun at Midnight, Nicolas Citton, a writer of The Knife and Lori Lozinski, producer of Little Bird.
“This year, we have producing workshops, writing workshops, ‘how to’ pitch workshops – the things that would benefit the Yellowknife and NWT filmmaker on a bigger scale,” explained Ramsey.
The workshops examine a myriad of topics from scriptwriting and pitching to producing and everything in between. One workshop is focused on something called “projection mapping” while another offers advice on “How to VJ your own films” and how to create generative graphics.
There will even be a “Pitch This! Competition” where aspiring filmmakers will be able to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges for a chance to win $5,000 in cash and up to $5000 of in-kind equipment rentals to complete their film.
The event will also feature “One-on-One Speed Meetings” and a workshop teaching filmmakers how to use AI Tools.
Another workshop focuses on grassroots and alternative avenues of distribution.
“So it’s just talking about various ways to be a filmmaker without having that big support from a distribution because it’s not always needed for every project that you’re working on to be a success,” said Ramsey.
Ramsey said the writing and producing workshops usually attract the most interest.
“You can’t have a film without writing a script first, so I think that’s what’s going to be huge for everyone, at any stage of their career.”
KC Carthew, a former Yellowknife resident and filmmaker behind The Sun at Midnight, will be at the forum. Carthew is working on a new TV series called The Knife and is going to do a table read and case study of one episode, as well as participate in one-on-ones and talk with current filmmakers.
The industry forum will run the weekend of Nov. 7 to 9, with workshops held at the Explorer Hotel.
While the forum is mainly focused on Yellowknife filmmaking activity, the initiative supports work across the territory, including Inuvik, Fort Simpson and Hay River.
Filmmakers from across the territory are welcome to attend. There is funding available through GNWT for filmmakers to come to participate in the forum, said Ramsey.
Organizers work closely with all stakeholders within the community, from filmmakers to anyone who might be involved in any process of the filmmaking, to hear what they are looking for out of the forum sessions.
“We do this forum every year and every year we ask the participants what they want to see or something unique,” said Ramsey.
Last year, when a big feature film was shooting in Yellowknife, organizers worked with the filmmaker and decided to have an acting workshop.
“They knew they had to hire a bunch of local talents. We do work very closely with people to see what is beneficial for them,” said Ramsey.
Northern filmmakers have many common concerns that inform their work, including the relationships that define connections to land.
“I think a lot of the conversations around working with community (come back to) working outdoors, working respectively on land, being sustainable. Those are all conversations that take place around Northern filmmaking,” said Ramsey.
Ramsey highlighted that this year’s forum features a new workshop for youth, which is free.
YKIDS! is a youth-focused two-day filmmaking workshop led by Winnipeg’s The Road to Freedom Tour. Young filmmakers will develop and shoot their own one-minute zombie film.
“It’s a great opportunity for youth and family to come out and I try their hand at making a movie,” said Ramsey.
More information about the forum can be found at the festival’s website
